Mauricio Pochettino confirms Southampton interest in coveted SPL star

Southampton head coach Mauricio Pochettino says that the South Coast club are keen on signing in-demand Glasgow Celtic utility player Victor Wanyama this summer, reports BBC Sport Online.

The highly rated Kenya international has only been with the Scottish Premier League champions for the past two seasons now, having originally arrived at Celtic Park from Belgium outfit Beerschot AC for a fee of just £900,000 in July 2011.

And in the intervening two-year period the giant 22-year-old has gone on to establish himself as one of the Continent’s most accomplished centre backs cum holding midfield players, with his displays in Celtic’s stunning run all the way to the knockout stage of last season’s Uefa Champions League in particular catching the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

However, it now appears as though the Saints are on the verge of tying up a £12 million move for Wanyama, who has scored 13 goals in his 91 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants in his time at the club so far.

“We are very interested in Wanyama and we will see how it progresses,” Pochettino told BBC Radio Solent.

“He isn’t the only player we are looking at though and we are expecting to hopefully advance in negotiations with other players.”